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A transgender man has accused the NHS of discrimination after doctors refused to freeze his eggs for future fertility treatment.

Alex McCall, who is studying architecture at Newcastle University, was told by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) in Newcastle and Brighton that they were unable to pay the fees.

With no funding, Mr McCall will have to pay up to £5,000 for egg-freezing and then pay £500 annually to maintain them.

Following a recent legal row with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, NHS England will reissue guidance to NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), reminding them that they have responsibilities to commission fertility services like IVF and storage of eggs and sperm.

Under such policies, CCGs are already obliged to comply with the Equality Act.

Mr McCall, who can’t afford the fertility treatment, remains concerned that he did not receive help from the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group.

He said: "In December, I spoke to Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group to ask if they offer funding to transgender men. My sister then called them to follow up on the enquiry and a staff member told her they only help cis-gender people [whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth] with fertility treatment.

"I was confused because I have lived in Brighton and I came out here when I was 18. My family and friends, school and services in the city were accepting."

Mr McCall believes there will be other transgender people experiencing the same difficulties.

A spokesman for the Brighton commissioning group said: "We are currently maintaining our IVF policy in line with the approach of neighbouring CCGs.

"This approach was decided following research with local clinicians and patients across Kent, Surrey and Sussex on equality, legal advice on equality and the prevailing Nice guidance, with all issues raised taken into account by policy and decision making groups.

"We strive to ensure the services we commission for our local community are equal for everyone. We are committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination in all our activities, and are in the process of reviewing the policy."